Cooking with Balls at the Testicle Festival (Includes interview and first-hand account) By Kim I. Hartman Aug 25, 2010 in Food Gornji Milanovac - Some men would grimace at the idea of eating the testicles of an animal, but in many cultures they are considered a delicacy, an aphrodisiac and festivals are created to celebrate, prepare and feast on the coveted meat known as the testes. Depending on where you live, eating balls may not be that uncommon. You can find them on menus in regions big on cattle ranching including Texas and in farming areas throughout North America. They can be purchased in big city specialty markets where people from foreign countries live, work, eat and shop. In the United States they call them Rocky Mountain Oysters or Mountain Oysters, Prairie Oysters, Hog Balls, Calf Fries and Turkey Testicles. They cook and serve them battered, breaded, deep fried and pan fried, as appetizers and main course dishes as well as sliced and fried and made into a sandwich and enjoyed with a number of toppings similar to a po' boy.

They can originate from beef cattle, pigs, sheep, turkeys and ducks and considering how much beef and pork is consumed in North America, half of these creatures being male, there are plenty of mountain oysters to go around. The removal of testicles is common on farms and ranches throughout the world. One West Virginia farm owner Greg Shiley, who's family has farmed for over a hundred years, has been raised around people who harvest the testicles for the food. Shiley said, "As long as he can remember, over 50 years, his neighbors and friends of the family have been dining on mountain oysters. These people love them and they're the first to lend a hand when it's time to for castrating livestock." "They have the appearance of tenderized meat, like cubed-steak but when sliced they look just like pork tenderloin," Shiley said, and I would have to agree from my view of these massive balls of meat. Paul Miller, another farmer and family friend of Shiley's told this journalist "The meat of the mountain oyster is as tender as the loin itself and tastes just as good or better.

It's an acquired taste," said Paul, "but one that once you try it, you'll surely eat them a second time." I took his word for it and chose not to try them. Shiley doesn't know what they taste like either and he has no intention of eating them but said "there will always be a market for testicles whether they originate from his livestock pens or are raised on farms around the world." Some have said they have the consistency of liver and organ meats, and a taste similar to the sweet breads. One man said they tasted like chicken, the 'all to easy answer' when the subtle taste of a meat can be not be described in any other manner. Whether you have the balls (pun intended) to eat testicles, or not, is an entirely different matter. The skewers on top are grilled sheep testicles, the ones on the bottom are just normal lamb. by fortes-Flickr For as many 'testicle aficionado's' that there are in the world there are almost as many chefs with their own special way of preparing and cooking the meat that originates inside the scrotum of mammals. There are even cooking shows devoted exclusively to the preparation of the testicles.

This weekend cooks will have their chance to show off their culinary skills in Serbia, where the annual ' Ball Cup' festival, will be held in the village of Ozrem. The World Championship of Cooking Aphrodisiacs and Testicles Specialties is held each year the end of August in the Serbian countryside. Cooks from all over the world including Norway, Finland, Republic of Serpska, Macedonia, Australia, Spain, Austria, Slovenia, the USA, Canada, Hungary have entered this year's competition. This is one of many festivals celebrating the tasty testes in the world with the United States hosting festivals from Texas and Montana to California and Wisconsin to name just a few of the larger events. Serbia's Testicle festival organizer and author Chef Ljubomir Erovic has published the world’s first cookbook on cooking with balls. The Testicle Cookbook – Cooking With Balls includes author Ljubomir Erovic’s favourite dishes, like testicle pizza and battered testicles. The e-book, available for download, comes with handy video guides showing the Serb peeling the skin off testicles and slicing them up into bite-size chunks.

The ingredients for his testicle pizza recipe include cheese, onion, pepper, bacon and bull’s testicles. "It’s Italian pizza with Serbian balls", explains Erovic in his video. The book also contains more cordon bleu recipes, such as calf testicles in wine and testicles with bourgignon sauce. "The tastiest testicles in my opinion probably come from bulls, stallions or ostriches, although other people have their own favourites," he said. "All testicles can be eaten – except human, of course." Rocky Mountain Oysters, Whats Cooking America 0 Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies can be eaten. It just takes an open mind and a willing stomach. Of course, there are some people who will eat anything. What are Rocky Mountain oysters? They are also known as prairie oysters, Montana tendergroins, cowboy caviar, swinging beef, and calf fries – are true Western delicacies. They are that part of the bull that is removed in his youth so that he may thereby be more tractable, grow meatier, and behave less masculine. When the calves are branded, the testicles are cut off and thrown in a bucket of water.

They are then peeled, washed, rolled in flour and pepper, and fried in a pan. They are considered to be quite a delicacy. Like other organ meats, testicles may be cooked in a variety of ways – deep-fried whole, cut into broad, thin slices, or marinated. At roundups in the old West, cowboys and ranch hands tossed the meat on a hot iron stove. When the calf fries exploded, they were done? Photos by Fran Shelton of Beaverton, Oregon taken at the Barney Prines Steakhouse and Saloon Restaurant in Prineville, Oregon. Eating animal genitalia dates back to ancient Roman times, when it was believed that eating a healthy animal’s organ might correct some ailment in the corresponding human organ of the male person eating it. Because of this belief, the practice continues to the present day, especially in Asia, where animal genitalia are considered an aphrodisiac. The rugged folks of the Rocky Mountain region are not squeamish. Testicle festivals are held every spring and fall in Montana. These festivals can be very rowdy and may not be the best place to bring your children.

If you can not get to a festival, many restaurants and bars in Montana, Idaho, and Kansas serve Rocky Mountain oysters all year long and with less fanfare. Calf Fries: Deep Fried Testicles from Stockyards | Phoenix New Times Calf Fries: Deep Fried Testicles from Stockyards Or sign in with a social account: FACEBOOK GOOGLE + TWITTER YAHOO! Don't have an account yet? Sign Up › Connect. Discover. Share. Get the most out of your experience with a personalized all-access pass to everything local on events, music, restaurants, news and more. Enter your email or sign up with a social account to get started FACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+ YAHOO! Don't have an account yet? Sign Up › Calf Fries: Deep Fried Testicles from Stockyards Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 4:55 p.m. A tasty platter of taboo eats. Calf fries with cocktail sauce from Stockyards. Erica O'Neil Print Article This week: Calf Fries served up by Stockyards Restaurant .

The Ick Factor: Animal fries (not of the In-N-Out variety) are a slang term for testicles, the offal byproduct of many a castration at farms. Rather than just tossing these walnut-sized calf testes, somewhere along the line crazy cow pokes decided they looked like pretty good eats. It's not just limited to cows, with lamb fries, pig fries, and rooster fries all describing a different sort of "egg" that has been removed from the scrotum and prepared for consumption, be it deep fried, thin sliced, or in a light demi glace. There's one constant between all of these "fries," and that's the need for a euphemism. So if you're ever looking to pull a fast on an unsuspecting (soon to be former?) friend, rustle up an order of extra special "animal fries," also known as Rocky Mountain oysters, prairie oysters, Montana tendergroin, or swinging beef. Mmm, good eats. (bite into all the juicy details after the jump) Calf fries in the raw. Bonus points for identifying other offal bits is in this scene.

Flickr- Clare & James The Offal Choice: Calf fries served up by Stockyards Restaurant, a steakhouse replete with classic Arizona memorabilia and quaint cowboy charm. Our calf fries were battered and deep fried, served with a wedge of lemon and cocktail sauce for dipping. Tastes Just Like: Beefy, mild liver meatballs. Above anything, they taste fried. It's a scientific fact that deep frying anything improves its flavor and edibility. Just ask the experts charged with creating new and repulsive exotic fair food like deep-fried butter. Aside from the outstanding taste of grease and breading, the calf fries had a mild beefy flavor and a slightly musky aftertaste. Go figure. The musky flavor was reminiscent of the general animal funk that accompanies a big old platter of organ meat, like beef liver. But since these "fries" come from calves instead of virile bulls, it was much milder and not at all off putting. The texture of the calf fries was a bit on the springy side, but still maintained a meaty bite. Although, after several chews they had a tendency to become a little mealy, similar to how liver begins to break down.

Thankfully they were by no means as dry and powdery as a huge hunk of leathery old cow liver. You Know It's Cooked Improperly When: Testicles are delicate. Go ahead and ask around. So you don't want to manhandle your huevos del toro, and try not to overcook them. There's nothing worse than a busted nut or a rubbery testicle. Words to live by. Always been a DIY-er? If you're looking to become the mad scientist equivalent of a kitchen guru, find some testicles, remove the membranous outer sheath (we cringed a bit typing that) and try out a recipe for deep-fried prairie oysters . Just think of them as a homemade aphrodisiac. Know of some offal that we just have to try? Let us know in the comment section. 10 Strangest Foods Sold at Restaurants (eerie food, strange food) - ODDEE 10 Strangest Foods Sold at Restaurants 5/30/2014 A disclaimer: We have to warn you that this list is not for the faint at heart!

1 The Fried Brain Sandwich This meal easily claimed the top spot on our list. Indiana is believed to be the home of this dish which originates from a time when the first Dutch and German settlers arrived in the state. This delicacy was originally made with the brains of cows. Nowadays, because of mad cow disease, restaurants replace the cow brains with pig brains. Like any other burger at your local fast food joint, the fried brain sandwich is served on a bun and covered in pickles, onions, mustard and ketchup. ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 2 Rocky Mountain Oysters (Bull Calf Testicles) Also known as calf fries, prairie oysters, cowboy caviar, and Montana tenderloins, this Western dish is definitely one of the strangest on our list. What exactly is a Rocky Mountain oyster? Well, it isn't for the faint at heart. Rocky Mountain oysters are actually the testicles of a young bull, which are removed so that the bull will be less aggressive and grow meatier. The testicles are removed during the calf branding process. After that, they are soaked in a bucket of water, then washed and peeled.

From there, they're rolled in seasoned batter and fried. Heard enough yet? It may be shocking to learn that this dish is considered a delicacy, and in parts of the American West and Western Canada where cattle ranching is prevalent, they throw testicle festivals where this famous dish is prepared in every way imaginable. ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 3 Khash Dish (Cow Feet, Head and Stomach) This traditional Middle Eastern dish was once considered a delicacy only enjoyed by wealthy people during the winter season. The stomach churning ingredients included in this dish are a cow's feet, head and stomach. These parts are boiled into a thick, terrible smelling soup-like broth. Once boiled, they are then heavily seasoned with an assortment of local spices, lemon, salt, pepper and garlic. Oftentimes dried lavash is added to the Khash soup before being eating. Khash is either eaten as a main dish, or combined with fresh greens, pickles, cheese and/or hot peppers. Khash isn't something you eat on a regular basis. Restaurants typically only serve the dish during parties or times of celebration.

( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 4 A-Ping (Fried Tarantula) Next time you are feeling adventurous in Cambodia, you should definitely check out A-Ping – a fried spider dish. Unlike some of the other foods contained on our list, A-Ping was never considered a delicacy. Instead, it became a common dish during the 1960s, when the Khmer Rouge was raising havoc in Cambodia. During this time, there were massive food shortages, so people had to start getting creative in order to survive, and that's how A-Ping was created. Nowadays, A-Ping is a popular street dish that costs next to nothing to enjoy. The typical A-Ping recipe involves tossing dead, specially picked spiders into an MSG, sugar and salt mixture. Then, the coated spiders are fried in garlic oil until crispy. The taste of A-Ping has been described by many as being pretty bland, but with a complex and crispy outer coating. Extreme A-Ping lovers think that the best part is the abdomen, which contains a brown paste like substance containing excrement, spider eggs and organs. Gross!

( Source | Photo ) 5 Haggis The national dish of Scotland, haggis is technically a sausage but its ingredients will make you stop in your tracks! This large sized spherical sausage is made out of sheep's lungs, heart and liver, which are then mixed together with oatmeal and beef and heavily seasoned. But that's not all! The mixture is then encased in sheep's stomach and then boiled for a bit. If you have not had the chance of enjoying haggis at a Scottish restaurant, be prepared for a little pomp and circumstance. Haggis is sometimes presented with pipers accompanying the dish to your table. It is also customary to enjoy a glass of whiskey, and give a little toast before digging into this Scottish dish. ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 6 Ying-Yang Fish The Ying-Yang fish, also known as the dead-or-alive fish, involves taking a whole live carp and frying it while somehow keeping it alive so that it makes it to the plate cooked, but still breathing. This dish is the most controversial on our list because many condemn the practice as unnecessary cruelty.

After hearing descriptions that once the fish is on the plate, a customer can enjoy its body meat while actually watching the fish open and close its mouth while gasping for air, we have to agree. You might have a rough time finding a restaurant that will serve you this rare dish. It is banned from restaurants in Taiwan, though some unscrupulous eateries in China will still allow Ying-Yang fish to be part of their menu. ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 7 Tuna Eyeballs This food is definitely the worst to look at. While others on our list conceal the nasty ingredients somewhat, this dish contains a completely intact tuna eyeball and is definitely not for those with weak stomachs. You can find tuna eyeballs easily at any grocery store in China or Japan. If you see a huge, single eyeball surrounded by tuna fat and muscles, you've found what you're looking for. At restaurants the dish is prepared by boiling and seasoning the entire eyeball. Fans of tuna eyeballs rave about their tastiness and compare them in texture and flavor to squid. In fact, many say that the fish muscles and fat surrounding the eyeball is the most delicious part of this dish.

Well, let's just take their word for it! ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 8 Escamole Insect Caviar This allegedly tasty dish is a staple in many Mexican restaurants. It is essentially ant larva, which is harvested from the roots of the agave plant. Typically referred to as "insect caviar," the flavor and texture of this dish has been likened to cottage cheese. Though we gave pause, we've got to admit that insect caviar isn't too terrible to look at. In fact, these light-colored insect eggs look a lot like pine nuts or white corn kernels. The flavor is supposed to be pretty enjoyable – it has been described as having a poppy-esque texture, accompanied by a nutty aftertaste. This dish can be served in many ways – fried or thrown in as a garnish with omelets and tacos. ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 9 Birds Nest Soup A delicacy in Asia, birds nest soup involves taking the nest of a swiftlet and throwing the entire nest (which might even include the bird and/or bird eggs) into a deep fryer.

After frying the nest to a crisp, it's then immersed in a chicken stock. Enjoying this strange delicacy means that you will be ingesting a fair amount of bird saliva, which is used as a glue by swiftlets to hold their nests together. ( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) 10 Drunken Shrimp This Chinese delicacy makes our list because it requires you to eat living shrimp! Drunken shrimp are fresh water shrimp which are rendered paralyzed by a liquor mix, so that they can be consumed alive and with ease. Gross right? You'll be surprised to know that this dish can be found on the menus of restaurants across China. In fact, different regions of the country have their own unique take on the drunken shrimp recipe. While all drunken shrimp recipes involve the use of the baijiu liqour to stun the shrimp, some people treat the shrimp with liqueur first, and then boil them, as opposed to serving them live. Others cook the shrimp and then marinate them in the liquor. Many people liken the flavor to that of cooked shrimp, but with a raw, rich flavor and stronger aftertaste.

( Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo ) From the Web Prairie Oysters - definition of Prairie Oysters by The Free Dictionary Prairie Oysters - definition of Prairie Oysters by The Free Dictionary prairie oyster n. 1. Slang A drink made from a whole raw egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper that is taken as a palliative for a hangover or as a cure for hiccups. 2. Chiefly Western US The testis of a calf, cooked and served as food. prairie oyster n 1. (Cookery) a drink consisting of raw unbeaten egg, vinegar or Worcester sauce (Worcester oyster), salt, and pepper: a supposed cure for a hangover 2. (Cookery) the testicles of a bull calf cooked and eaten prai′rie oys`ter n. 1. a raw egg, or the yolk of a raw egg, often mixed with seasonings, as Worcestershire sauce, and used as a hangover remedy. 2. the testis of a calf used as food.

[1880–85] prairie oyster n (Culin) → uovo all'ostrica Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: prairie References in periodicals archive ? This, since you ask, is a celebration of the time of year when young bulls and rams are deprived of their family jewels, which are then fried and eaten as a delicacy known as prairie oysters. US brewery creates beer flavored with bull testicles Walter started out in the Prairie Oysters, and then in Zonkaraz in the '70s, when he says his generation was young and the American love for music was at its post-WWII peak. CUTLINE: Among the bands Walter Crockett has performed in are the Prairie Oysters, Zonkaraz and Valerie & Walter Crockett and the Oxymorons.

The beat goes on; Walter Crockett set to take center stage again Prairie oysters were thin on the ground, but the full English was everywhere and seemed to be doing its job nicely, although with the tourists holding a frail 6-3 lead, it wasn't clear whether the relief of symptoms was down to the egg, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans and hot, buttered toast or simply to a combination of elation and disbelief. I'VE TRIED hair of the dog, I've tried plink-plink-fizz, I've tried cactus juice, vitamin supplements, Coca-Cola, ginseng and a full English breakfast, but the best hangover cure I know is the prairie oyster. Overindulged Again? Avoid toxin overload this Christmas with new Nux Vomica - the first natural hangover medicine I would recommend the prairie oysters as an appetiser.

Peaking at the right time; Rub shoulders with the rich and famous and enjoy some breathtaking scenery out in the wild wild snowy wastes of Colarado, but don't let skiing get in the way, says Neil Rafferty The organizing committee can promise a program of speakers and debates that will stimulate and freshen the mind -- probably clean the plaque from your teeth -- and one that will send you home able to tell the folks that prairie oysters aren't fish; a Calgary red-eye isn't a midnight flight to New York; and a chinook arch isn't found on any building. See yourself through our eyes Organizers expect a casual, "drop-in and play" format, but it's anticipated that Chuck and Mud and the Hole in the Dam Band and the Prairie Oysters will perform, as well as The Dinosaurs, Duke Levine, Rufus Leakin and The New Pale Bluesmen, Zonkaraz, The Trailers, and many others.

Blue Plate special; Holden club plans party this weekend to celebrate 75 years P oy for t y Prairie oysters for two You'll need: Two egg yolks, 50ml any brandy, 30ml tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, vinegar, a few ice cubes, salt and pepper. Rocky Mountain Oysters | FoodMeOmaha Reply Question: What are rocky mountain oysters? Answer: Rocky mountain oysters are cooked animal testicles, usually from cows. Lamb, pig, goat, yak, buffalo, and turkey testicles are also eaten. Its a well-known, novelty dish in parts of western America where cattle ranching is prevalent. Other names they go by are prairie oysters, Montana tendergroins, cowboy caviar, swinging beef, and calf fries. “are often deep-fried after being peeled, coated in flour, pepper and salt, and sometimes pounded flat. This delicacy is most often served as an appetizer with a cocktail sauce dip.” I find the cocktail sauce humorous. CornyMe. Other sauces include hot sauce, tartar sauce, and ranch sauce.

The first rocky mountain oysters I tried were deep-fried, breaded, sliced cow balls served with ranch sauce (pictured above). And, they were good! (See the FoodMeOmaha post, “ My First Balls: Rocky Mountain Oysters “.) . Question: How are rocky mountain oysters made? Answer: From start to finish, here are generic steps to make the classic rocky mountain oysters: Get some balls. Cut a slit in the skin-like muscle surrounding each testicle and remove the skin. Once peeled, give the balls a bath. Soak the balls in either salt water, beer, milk, or vinegar mixture for a couple of hours. Slice, pound, or leave the balls whole. Season and bread the balls. Deep-fry the balls for a few minutes. Eat some balls! Curious and still can’t visualize the process? Here’s a video of rocky mountain oysters in the making with yak and bison balls. Here’s is a video of smaller balls (I suspect calf) being peeled. . Question: Are there swimmers in rocky mountain oysters? Answer: My friend’s doctor friend verified that sperm is in the testicles. The balls are the swimmer’s home base.

Naturally, it makes you wonder, are you eating microscopic cow tadpoles? On my online research, I found some entertaining comments: “Is there still semen in rocky mountain oysters? and if so is it like a twinkie?” “Where do you think the sauce comes from?” “extra protein!” “Don’t let them fool you. A cooked swimmer is still a swimmer! Don’t let them tell you otherwise!” A Yahoo! Answers contributor explained “They are removed from young bulls not mature enough to breed, once a male calf is sent to the feed lot to be fattened up for processing he becomes a steer or a castrated male, they are just spongy tissues when removed, I cooked them and ate them as a chef, I use bull and lambs fry’s for use in the places I worked as chef.” While I don’t have a concrete answer, here’s my theory. If you are eating calf balls, then you are not eating any swimmers since they haven’t hit puberty. If you are eating adult balls, then you are eating unseen, cooked, dead swimmers. Extra protein! If you know the answer, please share with CuriousMe! .

Question: Which dining venues serve rocky mountain oysters? Answer: You can find rocky mountain oysters at testicle festivals (which I have yet to experience) or restaurants and bars around America. It’s common to find them served at western-themed steakhouses. Case in point, I tried my first balls at Black Iron Grill Steakhouse and Salon in Rock Port, MO. In the Omaha area, Dinker’s Bar and Grill serves classic rocky mountain oysters which FoodMeOmaha plans to try one day! Share this: Reply I have eaten lots of balls – meatballs, mozzarella balls, melon balls, cheese balls, and even fish eye balls. (See the FoodMeOmaha post, “ My First Filipino Food Experience, Part 1: Fish Eye Me! “) But I had yet to try the novelty, real-deal cow balls until a month ago. On Saturday, October 13th, my boyfriend Brian, his son Cade, and I met up with Brian’s family for dinner at Black Iron Grill Steakhouse and Saloon in Rock Port, Missouri. Black Iron Grill is an American steakhouse about an hour and half drive from Omaha.

In the past, I had mentioned to Brian that I wanted to try rocky mountain oysters (something he has tried but I haven’t). We perused the menu and lo and behold we read “Mountain Oysters 1/2 pound. You ain’t gonna eat these raw! We slice ’em thin & bread ’em by hand”. Brian’s eyes lit up devilishly and he said, “Here’s your chance!” Thus, I spontaneously tried my first rocky mountain oysters. When I laid eyes on the rocky mountain oysters, I loudly exclaimed, “My first balls!” Rocky Mountain Oysters FoodMe YUM Rating: 7 out of 10 FoodMe Value Rating: 7 out of 10 Not bad! Good in fact. Nice crispy, fried outside and a chewy, thin inside. The texture is gizzard-like but not as chewy or thick. The taste is similar to liver but not as pungent. If you like fried gizzard or fried liver, then you should like fried balls as well. Of course, I had to examine what it looked like “naked” underneath the breading. Brian likes rocky mountain oysters with no shame or mental hangup.

He mentioned that Black Iron Grill’s mountain oysters are similar to the ones at Dinker’s Bar in Omaha. We weren’t the only ones who ate rocky mountain oysters. Brian and I encouraged two boys, Cade and Holden, to try some “oysters” for the first time. . Cade wanted no evidence of his ball eating ways! Brian’s nephew, Holden, ate his first rocky mountain oyster with gusto. I am not sure if Holden knew what he was eating but he liked it. Ultimately, I had a blast (or ball) trying rocky mountain oysters for the first time! I would eat them again. Side note: I confess that during and after this food experience, I was mystified and fascinated by how the balls became rocky mountain oysters. I didn’t understand all the technicalities from start to finish. Joel, Brian’s brother-in-law, explained the process but I could not fully visualize and connect all the dots. I had tons of questions. What part is what? How did the balls become flat? And, where did the swimmers go? CuriousMe did some research. Stay tuned for “FoodMeTrivia Series #3: The Making of Rocky Mountain Oysters”!

Share this: Prairie oyster - definition of prairie oyster by The Free Dictionary Prairie oyster - definition of prairie oyster by The Free Dictionary prairie oyster n. 1. Slang A drink made from a whole raw egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper that is taken as a palliative for a hangover or as a cure for hiccups. 2. Chiefly Western US The testis of a calf, cooked and served as food. prairie oyster n 1. (Cookery) a drink consisting of raw unbeaten egg, vinegar or Worcester sauce (Worcester oyster), salt, and pepper: a supposed cure for a hangover 2. (Cookery) the testicles of a bull calf cooked and eaten prai′rie oys`ter n. 1. a raw egg, or the yolk of a raw egg, often mixed with seasonings, as Worcestershire sauce, and used as a hangover remedy. 2. the testis of a calf used as food.

[1880–85] A Mile High: The Foods to Try A Mile High: The Foods to Try By Food Insight | Jan 29 2014 Last updated May 23 2014 Print By: Liz Williams, President of the SoFAB Institute Date: 1/30/2014 Denver is eating from food trucks and carts. It is a city where food trends are part of the culture, a city that mixes the best of the world with the local. For example, a product of the cattle industry-Rocky Mountain oysters. They are also called "calf fries" or just "prairie oysters." Rocky Mountain oysters are calf testicles that are cooked in several favorite ways, but often fried. (These "oysters" are often a surprise ingredient on Chopped .) This delicacy developed from the cattle industry. The "oysters" were harvested when spring calves were being branded and castrated. It resulted in many oysters all at once. And no food should go to waste. This dish can be found wherever the cattle industry became established.

On the prairie, the oysters were often simply roasted over the coals, but in most kitchens they are parboiled, sliced, and then fried. Besides the food trucks, which range from gourmet to everyday, the idea of street food is a well-established one in the city. For example, for fans of the egg, there is the Denver omelet. This culinary delight is an omelet with onions, green bell pepper, and ham, served on a roll. Local peaches and Rocky Ford melons are a favorite in this state, which today prides itself on being healthy and fit. Lamb, rainbow trout, and game like moose and boar are also part of the local foods eaten with relish by the residents. The heritage of Mexican and Native American cuisine also is apparent today in the restaurants of the city. The flavor profile of Denver definitely embraces peppers, whether smoky or fresh, and also masa and slow-cooked meats. While Coors is a Colorado standard, craft-brewed beers are also found in the state, and all will no doubt find their way into Super Bowl parties throughout the area.

Though known for its elegant casual dining and its love of ethnic foods, Broncos fans will have ample chance to eat chili, cheese, and brownies during their parties. But considering their commitment to healthy eating, there will no doubt be a fair share of raw vegetables and fruit for snacking. After the Super Bowl, either Seattle or Denver will be looking for recipes for crow. An A to Z of offal | Life and style | The Guardian An A to Z of offal A guide to what is known in Italy as the 'fifth quarter' Friday 12 August 2011 05.00 EDT First published on Friday 12 August 2011 05.00 EDT Close Blood "This is a dish (blood soup) that 6-8 years old girls make themselves but which young boys also prize highly.

When it is ready, some of the soup is poured into a flat dish and the boys lie on their stomachs round this and eat like dogs, while the small girls eat with their hands from the pot." • Sverdrup on the children of Reindeer Chukchi, 1901 The mention of blood as food immediately conjures up images of blood-sucking vampires biting into the necks of nubile virgins. However, you don't need to be a vampire, real or imagined, to like animal blood. Most cultures eat blood in one form or another and blood puddings (boudin) are made all over Europe. The filling for boudin is basically pig's blood and fat, although the Irish use sheep's blood for drisheen (their version of boudin). In France, they may add onions, chestnuts or small cubes of cooked head meats. In Spain they add rice and in Scotland oats. Whatever the mixture, it is seasoned with spices and herbs, funnelled into intestines and cooked very gently in a broth.

In Iceland, where the women make a lot of blood sausages during the slaughtering season in the autumn, the sausages are pickled in whey-barrels. Boudin is not the only edible blood product. In Spain, congealed blood is sold in blocks for people to use in different ways. The most common use is for it to be diced and sautéed with onions to serve as a tapa (encebollada in sangre). In Thailand, people add cubes of congealed blood to fish tripe soup. In France, they have Sanguette, a speciality from the Languedoc which was very common when chickens were killed at home. It is still prepared in some rural areas. The chicken is bled over a deep plate. Then the blood is seasoned with crushed garlic, chopped parsley and sometimes sautéed cubes of lean bacon and left to congeal before being fried in a little lard. The pan is deglazed with a little vinegar and the resulting sauce poured over the sanguette. A very different version of sanguette is made in the Béarn.

The Béarnais prepare theirs with the boiled cheeks, tripe and spleen of calf. These are diced and sautéed with cubes of congealed calf blood. When the meats have coloured, chopped onion, garlic and parsley are added. A little flour is sprinkled all over, some stock added and the whole dish is simmered for about half an hour. Towards the end of the cooking, sliced cornichons and capers are added. The blood of hare, rabbit or chicken is also used to thicken sauces in civet dishes and others. Brazilian chicken in blood 'frango ao molho pardo' is similar to a chicken dish from the Nivernais called poulet en barboille, where the chicken is first cooked in red wine with bacon, baby onions and lots of garlic. When cooked, the sauce is thickened with the blood that was reserved for that purpose.

In Italy, pig's blood is used in a sweet preparation, sanguinaccio, which is found with some variations in Calabria (al cioccolato, when it is cooked with milk, sugar, cocoa powder, almonds and cinnamon, or con il riso, when it is prepared with rice, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and lemon zest). Sanguinaccio is also found in Campania (alla napoletana, where the blood is cooked with milk, chocolate, sugar and candied fruit). A version also exists in Sicily where it seems to have its roots in Arab cooking as I found the recipe in a book called La Cucina Siciliana di Derivazione Araba. The French also have a sweet boudin, from the Nord Pas-de-Calais region, boudin à la flamande which dates back to the late 18th century. The blood is seasoned with onions, salt, ginger, cloves, pepper, sugar and cinnamon, then finally raisins are added. The Norwegians also use blood to make savoury cakes while the Japanese dry the blood of rattlesnakes to sell as an aphrodisiac.

Brains "Have I lived to be carried in a basket like a barrow of butcher's Offal, and to be thrown in the Thames? Well, if I be served Such another trick, I'll have my brains ta'en out and buttered." • Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor III.v.4-6 Brains are probably the most delicate and finest of all offal, perhaps not so much for their taste as for their soft, creamy texture. Some people think that calf's brains are superior to lamb's but I find both just as good. Brains are very fragile and you need to take great care while preparing them. They need to be soaked, for about half an hour in several changes of cold water to rid them of any excess blood, then the thin outer skin is peeled – no easy task, though dipping the brains in water every now and then helps loosen it. They are then poached in a court bouillon for about 3 minutes to firm them up before using in one of several different ways, the simplest being dipped in seasoned flour and shallow-fried in butter. Caul Caul fat.

Photograph: Mike Cooper/Absolute Press "The fold of membrane loaded with fat, which covers more or less of the intestines in mammals; the great omentum." Caul as defined by Webster's dictionary, a perfect description for a membrane that is often used to enclose fillings, meats, brochettes or different terrines. The purpose of using caul is dual, as an envelope but also, for its fat content, to help keep whatever is wrapped in it moist. You can buy caul fresh or salted. I prefer to use it fresh but if you can only find it salted, soak it for 10 minutes before using. Cocks' combs The best-known use for cocks' combs is in the classic financière sauce, the garnish for the classic vol-au-vent. I have never seen them sold in England but there is no reason why you cannot order them from an adventurous or knowledgeable butcher. The preparation is rather fiddly. They need soaking, blanching, then whitening, ie cooking in a mixture of water, flour, lemon and salt for about 10 minutes to stop them from blackening. Then they need scraping with a small knife to get rid of the rough exterior.

Once this is done, they are rinsed and rubbed with a little salt to get rid of the last rough bits. Cocks' combs are very rarely used nowadays and when they are, it is more for their gelatinous texture and shape than for their taste. The Russians also use cocks' combs to make a terrine where the diced combs are set in an aspic made with chicken stock, wine and lemon juice. Ears A pig's ear. Photograph: Mike Cooper/Absolute Press Most people balk at the idea of eating ears but I love the contrast between the crunchy cartilage and the gelatinous skin. The preparation is rather tiresome and some of it will bring you dangerously close to feeling that you are dealing with a human ear, ie removing hair, scraping the wax, etc. As a result, I prefer to eat them in a restaurant or at friends' houses, but here is what you need to do if you want to prepare them yourself. First make sure your butcher cleans them really well before he gives them to you. Even then, you still need to scrape them, singe them, wash, blanch and wash them again to get rid of any scum.

After this they are ready to be boiled, for about 2-3 hours with or without the rest of the head, and served as is with a sauce ravigote or gribiche, or breadcrumbed and fried in very hot oil. Eyes "For dessert there was simply a handful of bird and fish eyes picked out of the pot" • Vibe, 1938 Eyes are probably the biggest taboo when talking about offal. Even Fergus Henderson at St John's has not served them yet. And, of course, there is the eternal cliché about Arabs and their predilection for sheep's eyes. Well, apparently it is not only them who are keen on the delicacy. The Russians view them as an aphrodisiac. This unsubstantiated piece of information was passed on to me by Mr. Guérin who was one of my offal butchers in Paris when I tested recipes there. He also said that they eat them stuffed (imagine the number of heads you need to produce a plateful of stuffed eyes). Well, perhaps they do and perhaps they don't but I have never tried them nor even seen them.

However, I have often eaten sheep's eyes, whenever we had sheep's head, and yes, I did from when I was very young. They have a nice chewy texture without being tough, a little like that of squid but without the slipperiness. The secret is to remove the inky, black middle bit without bursting it before you bite into the gelatinous eye socket. I have also eaten fish eyes which are equally delicious but not those of whales, which the Japanese consider choice morsels. The Eskimos eat seal eyes and here is what Høygaard wrote in 1941 of the Angmagssalik Eskimos: "The central nervous system and the eyes are considered very good and usually fall to the lot of the hunter who has caught the animal." Feet Trotters. Photograph: Mike Cooper/Absolute Press Feet are rich in gelatine and calf's feet are those normally used to thicken broth and give it body while pig's and lamb's are served in many different ways: in salads and sauces, or breadcrumbed and grilled or also in the case of pig's trotters, used as a casing to make stuffed feet.

One of the most famous French recipes for pig's feet is pieds de porc à la Ste Menehould. The feet are tightly wrapped in cheesecloth, to keep their shape, and cooked for at least 24 hours, and sometimes up to 40 hours, in a strongly flavoured broth until the bones are so tender that you can eat the whole thing. It is said that they were the undoing of Louis XIV who stopped in Ste Menehould on the road to Varennes to feast on one of his favourite dishes. The delay allowed the revolutionaries to catch up with the royal family and arrest them. I was not able to find a proper recipe for pieds de porcs à la Ste Menehould. All the good ones are jealously guarded by those who make them. The best thing I can do is to recommend trying them at Le Pied Rare, a simple café / restaurant in Paris, in the Bastille. The owners were given the recipe by the inn-keeper they worked for in Ste Menehould and they regularly win prizes for their pieds de porc. You can also try them at the Soleil d'Or in Ste Menehould.

They are quite unlike any other pig's trotters you will have ever tasted. Another unusual way of preparing feet comes from Morocco, where they cook calf's feet in a sweet-spicy honey sauce. The result is astonishing and totally exquisite. The Italians are also very keen on trotters and one of their best-known exports apart from pasta and Parmigiano is zampone, a kind of pig's feet sausage where the feet are boned and stuffed with ground pork meat and rind. Zampone, as well as cotechino (a sausage with the same filling but encased in pork skin) are traditionally served on New Year's Eve, with salsa verde and lentils. Both zampone and cotechino need long simmering, 3-4 hours, and have to be wrapped in cheesecloth to prevent them splitting and losing their shape during cooking. Giblets " ... the burnished gold of the crusts, the fragrance exuded by the sugar and cinnamon, were but preludes to the delights released from the inside of the pie when the knife broke the crust.

First came a soice-laden haze, then chicken livers, hard-boiled eggs, sliced ham, chicken and truffles in masses of piping hot, glistening macaroni, to which the meat juice gave an exquisite hue of suede." • The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa Giblets include neck, liver, gizzard and heart in England but in France where they are known as abattis, they also include the head, feet and wings. The livers are sautéed, grilled or made into pâtés, the gizzards grilled or confit (cooked in fat) and the wings marinated and grilled. The head, neck and feet are used to impart flavour to sauces and stocks although they are perfectly edible and quite delicious. The Chinese are very keen on chicken, goose or duck feet and prepare them in myriad ways. Another edible part from inside the chicken that few people know about is unhatched eggs. These can be left inside the chicken to cook, sometimes forming an attractive necklace around the stuffing, or they can be carefully taken out and fried. Alycot is a famous old-fashioned French stew made from giblets.

The word is made up of three different ones: ale (aile/wing), y (et/and) cot (cou/neck). "The days of gatchére, of chère-lie, when we sacrificed many subjects (geese, ducks, turkeys) we make, with the giblets, the gizzards and necks, an excellent starter that we call alicot." (from Simin Palay, The Cuisine of the Béarn). Heads Fish heads. Photograph: Mike Cooper/Absolute Press "After all there's a lot in that vegetarian fine flavour of things from the earth garlic of course it stinks after Italian organgrinders crisp of onions mushrooms truffles. Pain to the animal too. Pluck and draw fowl. Wretched brutes there at the cattlemarket waiting for the poleaxe to split their skulls open. Moo. Poor trembling calves. Meh. Staggering bob. Bubble and squeak. Butchers' buckets wobbly lights. Give us that brisket off the hook. Plup. Rawhead and bloody bones.

Flayed glasseyed sheep hung from their haunches, sheepsnouts bloodypapered snivelling nosejam on sawdust. Top and lashers going out. Don't maul them pieces, young one." • James Joyce, Ulysses Only lamb's heads are cooked and served on the bone. They are boiled, steamed, roasted or even smoked as they do them in Norway (smalahove). Calf's and pig's heads are boned and the meat (snout, ears, tongue and sometimes cheeks) is either cut up and sold separately or rolled like a roast and boiled to serve with a sauce ravigote or gribiche. Another way of preparing head meat is en fromage (head cheese or brawn) where the meats are cooked until tender, diced and left to set in their liquor.

Of course, there are other ways of preparing head like in the following, extremely complicated recipe from Plumerey, published in his 1843 book l'Art de la Cuisine au XIX siecle, where he explains how to prepare tête d'agneau à la Pascaline: "Take four sheep's heads; they should be perfectly skinned; bone them, and put them to soak, as well as the four brains and four tongues; take three lamb's livers that you will sauté with half the amount of fresh lard, fine herbs, salt, pepper and spices to make a stuffing, and twelve sheep's trotters that you will cook with the tongues; you will also cook the brains, but separately; when the tongues and brains are done, you will cut them in large cubes and, with mushrooms, you will make twelve croquettes; now take the blanched sheep's heads and fill them with the stuffing; tie them tightly; cover them with a few slices of lemon; cover them with pork fat and cook in a good casserole; have ready about twelve studded lamb's sweeetbreads; reserve the trimmings; have a sauce tournée in which you will have put two handfuls

 of mushrooms; you will reduce the sauce and thicken it with six egg yolks; then you will strain the four sheep's heads; untie them; arrange on a large round plate, the nose part on the outside; cut each trotter in two, put three in between each head; cover with the sauce, and arrange the twelve fried croquettes all around, the twelve sweetbreads piques and twelve bread crusts cut in the shape of crests; throw the mushrooms and sweetbread trimmings in the sauce and over the heads." Not a recipe you are going to rush to make but it gives you a good idea of how elaborately offal was prepared in those days.

A type of head that people do not often think of is fish head, a great delicacy in Singapore prepared in a curry sauce. The Asians are not the only ones to appreciate fish heads. The Scots were also very fond of them. I have found several recipes for dressed cod's and haddock heads filled with fish liver in The Scots' Kitchen by F. Marian McNeill. Here is a rather intriguing one for Crappit Heids, as stuffed heads are called, from the Isle of Lewis: "Take half a dozen haddock heads and livers. Chop the livers, which must be perfectly fresh, mix them with an equal quantity of raw oatmeal, add pepper and salt, and bind with milk. Stuff the heads with this mixture, and boil them with the fish. The liquor makes good stock for fish soup. A similar stuffing is made with cods' livers, but the body, not the head, is stuffed, through the gullet." Hearts It is sad that nowadays most English, or American people for that matter, consider hearts to be dog or cat food. They may not be the finest offal but they can be used in delicious preparations and have the added advantage of being very cheap.

They can be stewed, stuffed and braised or grilled. Intestines "Fish intestines are cut up, cleaned, washed, boiled and eaten; boiled by themselves in water, not to be mixed with other (other parts of) fish or else with the head if the rest of the fish is dried; these intestines, fat, are the Lapps' delicacy ... " • Drake, 1918 One of the most famous uses for intestines is in andouillettes, a fat French sausage made with pig's intestines that are either grilled or shallow fried and served with mustard. Andouille sounds similar but is quite different. It is made with intestines but in a very large sausage and is smoked for two months, hence the black skin. It is then tied, cooked in water or broth and dried. It is generally eaten cold, thinly sliced, but it can also be served hot after having been simmered in broth. In Italy, intestines from milk-fed calf or lamb are used to make pajata, a Roman speciality, or brochettes.

In Sicily the brochettes are grilled and sold on the streets – stigghiole is what you need to ask for if you want to try them. Similar versions of intestines brochettes exist with slight variations in Sardinia and Umbria. The South Americans have their own version which they call chinchulines while the Turks and Greeks wrap skewered lamb's lights with intestines and grill them to produce kokoreç or kokoretsi. The Lebanese fill intestines with rice, meat and chickpeas to cook alongside stuffed tripe and the Chinese cut them up to cook in a sauce and serve for dim sum. The English, Irish and Americans have their own chitterlings or chitlins, fried or grilled intestines, while the Eskimos eat fish intestines. These were also common food, in northern Sweden where the intestines of sea trout were boiled and considered to be full of goodness. And, of course, pig's or ox intestines are also used as casings for all kinds of sausages. Kidneys "Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls.

He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liver slices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods' roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine." James Joyce, Ulysses The finest kidneys are those from calves although both lamb's and pig's kidneys are also very good. The latter need soaking to rid them of the strong smell and taste. You can buy kidneys with or without their protective fat. I generally ask my butcher to remove the fat and the core. Whale kidneys are also eaten straight after the catch, boiled in salted water. Liver "I am weary of whales. I have eaten whale boiled, fried and minced; the liver, heart, brains, and kidneys of young whale, and best of all, head fin boiled, cut in thin slices when cold, and eaten with thin slices of dry bread. It has a firm white substance and a pleasant nutty flavour." Elizabeth Taylor, 1890's The smooth, buttery texture of liver, be it that of calf, duck, goose, monkfish or cod to name but a few is one of the ultimate delicacies.

The finest of red livers is undoubtedly that of calf, although both lamb's and pig's are also excellent. Chicken livers are in a league of their own, softer in texture and totally delicious provided that, first, they come from an organic bird and, second, that they are not overcooked. In fact, except for pig's, no liver should be cooked beyond pink, otherwise the texture changes from melting to rubbery. Liver can also be smoked. In the Tarn, they marinate pig's liver in a highly seasoned marinade before tying it like a rôti and smoking it. The liver is thinly sliced, sautéed in oil and the pan deglazed with a little vinegar to provide a sauce. In Alsace, people mix chopped calf's liver with chopped onion, parsley and a little fine semolina to make big quenelles. The quenelles are poached in a white consommé and served with a beurre noisette. The best-known of white livers is foie gras, either duck's or goose. I prefer duck's foie gras. The liver is smaller and somewhat less fatty.

The Japanese have their own "foie gras", that of monkfish (ankimo) although, technically, it is not really foie gras as the fish is not fattened artificially and the texture is closer to that of roe than liver. Ankimo is generally steamed and served cold with ponzu (the juice of citric fruit) and chopped spring onions. I found monkfish liver in the fish markets in Spain. You can buy it separately or attached to the head. I tried it a la plancha on the advice of the fishmonger and steamed à la japonaise. The latter was definitely the better way to prepare it. I also found canned cod's liver in Spain which was melting and delicious, and I assume healthy as it was preserved in its own oil. Lungs Lungs are mainly used in sausage making. They are my least favourite offal. They have a spongy texture and are very red when raw but turn a rather off-putting grey colour as soon as they start cooking. The Larousse Gastronomique recommends beating the mou (lungs in French) to tenderise them.

Marrow There are two kinds of marrow, bone marrow, from the shin of beef or calf and spinal marrow which is part of the nervous system and has a charming name in French: amourettes (little loves, a name that is also used for testicles). Bone marrow can be used in several different ways. It can be extracted and poached to serve on toast or on steak; or the bones can be roasted, a signature dish of Fergus Henderson at St John's restaurant in London. The traditional way to make risotto in Italy is by using bone marrow instead of, or together with butter or oil. Bone marrow is in fact pure fat and will melt if left long enough on the heat. Spinal marrow is quite different, more like brain than marrow from the shin bone; and it doesn't melt when cooked for too long. Instead it hardens and turns rubbery. Before BSE, lamb's spinal marrow was a mainstay of the mezze menu in Lebanese restaurants. It was poached and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Both texture and taste are delicate but, because of BSE, you cannot get hold of it here any longer. Palates Palates were very popular in the past.

There are several recipes for them, in the Larousse Gastronomique, in Hannah Glasse and in many other old cookbooks. They are no longer used today but if you were to find them, this is how to prepare them. Soak them first then boil until tender in a water and flour mixture so that they remain white. Once they are cooked, peel and serve with a sauce ravigote or gribiche. Sometimes you do get a piece of palate with tête de veau in French restaurants. More often than not, it is not peeled and has a most unpleasant gritty feel, a little like the skin of tongues. Spleen "But I am pigeon-livered, and lack gall To make oppression bitter, or ere this I should have fatted all the region kites With this slave's offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! ... For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak With most miraculous organ." • Shakespeare, Hamlet II.ii.554-558, 570-571 Spleen is not used widely except possibly in sausage making.

However, there are countries where it is appreciated. The Sicilians have a spleen sandwich, pani cu i meuza or put more simply milza, which is sold on the street. The sliced spleen and other bits of offal like lungs, etc. are fried in animal fat in large metal pans and stuffed into buns with ricotta cheese. I can't say it is one of the most appetising sandwiches I have ever had but many Sicilians are very keen on them. This is not to say that I don't like spleen. In fact, one of my all-time favourite dishes is t'hal (a Lebanese spleen dish) where the spleen is stuffed with garlic and coriander and braised in vinegar. Gorgeous. Sweetbreads There are two types of calf's sweetbreads, the gangly ones that come from the throat and the round, nicely shaped ones, called pomme de ris in French, that come from around the heart. The neck sweetbread is the thymus gland, and the heart or belly sweetbread is the pancreas. The thymus gland shrinks in size after puberty, but does not disappear. Calf's sweetbreads are finer than those from sheep.

Depending on how bloody they are when you buy them, you may need to soak them first, until they become white. Then poach and press down (only calf's) to flatten them. After this they are ready to be prepared in all kinds of different ways, simply dipped in flour and fried, braised, grilled, baked, cooked in pastry, etc. Sometimes calf's sweetbreads are spiked with cubes of fat, truffles, tongue or ham. Tail There are two kinds of tails, the bony ones from the ox and pig that have rich meat on them or the fatty ones from the fat-tail sheep that have no bone and are highly valued in the Arab world. Oxtails and pig's tails are cooked in stews, while the fat from the fat-tail sheep is eaten raw, diced very small, with raw liver or used in cooking instead of butter or ghee to impart a rich, special flavour to stews and other dishes. Oxtail and pig's tails need long, slow cooking until the rich, juicy meat falls off the bone. Testicles (Fries) Testicles are a part of the fifth quarter that most people reject outright, simply because of what they are.

If they only knew how delicious the taste is and what a delicate, melting texture testicles have, they wouldn't be so hasty in their rejection. Testicles need to be peeled before cooking but the butcher will generally do that for you. There is no need for any special preparation and by far the best way to cook them is to dip them in seasoned flour and gently fry them in butter until golden, adding a squeeze of lemon juice just before they are ready. It is very important not to overcook them as they will lose their velvety texture and become hard and rubbery. In France, testicles are poached before frying but I don't think this is necessary. In Iceland, ram's testicles are preserved in sour whey, while in Japan, whale testicles are boiled and served with a vinegar sauce. I prefer lamb's testicles to those of bull but there isn't that much in it except for the size. I haven't tried cock's or capon's testicles, known as rognons blancs (white kidneys) in France, but they are also highly prized.

Because of the sexual connotation, testicles are almost always referred to by a different name except in the Arab world where they are simply called balls of sheep. The Italians call them gioielli (jewels) or animelle, while the French alternate between les joyeuses (the happy ones, in the feminine, and I guess one can understand why), animelles or amourettes (darling ones or little loves, confirming the opinion that the French know how to live). Amourettes is also the name given to spinal marrow. The Americans, puritanical as ever, refer to them as prairie or mountain oysters, also as Montana tendergroins, cowboy caviar, swinging beef, and calf fries (the latter two showing a less puritanical streak). Calf's testicles are reputed to be a favourite of former US president George W Bush, and were apparently a staple on the menu when he was governor in Texas. Tongues Tongues, ox or calf's, are sold either fresh or cured. Lamb's tongues are only used fresh as are ducks' and goose, the latter two being great favourites of the Chinese.

If used fresh, ox, calf's and lamb's tongues need to be soaked then boiled to rid them of the blood and then peeled. Ducks' tongues have a funny little bone inside them and those of geese need some preparation before they are ready for use. Whale tongues were also appreciated. There are several references to whale tongues being eaten in the middle ages, amongst them an account by the French surgeon, Ambroise Paré (1517-90), describing a whaling expedition off the Atlantic coast of France. Two bundles of whale tongues were then presented to King Charles IX and his mother Catherine de Medici – Paré describes the tongue as tender and delicious. Tripe "Till cramm'd and gorg'd, nigh burst With suckt and glutted offal." • Milton, Paradise Lost X. 633 Ox tripe has four distinct sections, the four stomachs: honeycomb (bonnet in French), reed tripe (caillette), bible tripe (feuillet) and thick seam (panse). Honeycomb and thick seam are usually sold pre-cooked, often bleached.

It's best to avoid bleached tripe as much of the flavour and texture will have disappeared in the process. Reed and bible tripe are hardly ever pre-cooked and need thorough cleaning before cooking. In fact, all tripe unless pre-cooked needs lengthy washing before use. The four types are needed for making tripes à la mode de Caen, one of the most famous French tripe dishes, otherwise honeycomb or thick seam will do. Another famous French tripe dish is the tablier de sapeur, a speciality from Lyon, where large squares of cooked thick seam tripe are marinated in white wine, lemon juice and mustard, then dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried. Pig's and lamb's stomachs are obviously much smaller than calf's or ox and do not have the reed or bible section. The tripe itself is a lot thinner and more suitable for filling.

William the conqueror loved tripe cooked in the juice of Neustrie apples and Rabelais' Gargantua was conceived after his mother, Gargamelle, had eaten a large plate of gaudebillaux, the tripe of coireaux beef (fattened from when they were born on their mothers' milk or in fields where the grass grew twice a year). Another kind of tripe that many people are unaware of is fish tripe. Salted cod's tripe is a great delicacy in Barcelona while other dried fish tripe is used in Thailand and in China to make soup. Udder "Boil sow's udders and cut into pieces. Add some pike meat which has previously been ground in a mortar, minced chicken, raw eggs and oil. Mix together and season with pepper. Moisten with garum and wine and add a few raisins. Cook in an earthenware pot and once done, transfer the stuffing to which you will have added becfigues (a little bird found in abundance in the south of France, also known as béguinette), peppercorns and pine nuts to another pot that has already been lined with pastry.

Cover the filling with a layer of pastry and bake in the oven." • Apicius There are two places I know of where you can try udder. One is Jame' el Fna in Marrakesh, the world-famous square with its ambulant cook-stalls, set up every evening as the sun sets. The cooks are grouped by speciality with an offal corner where the vendors sell boiled sheep's heads and other offal including udder. The other place is a café / restaurant in Madrid that specialises in frying offal off-cuts, if there is such a thing. There I had a mixed fry-up of the glands that line the intestines (moist and tasty), udder (dry and bland), spleen (so-so) and even trachial tubes (pleasantly crunchy). The fat in the huge frying pans was rendered from the lining of the stomach, intestines, heart and other bits. This all-out offal meal has been my most extreme offal experience to date.

I would not go so far as to say that it was exquisite but it was certainly memorable, both for me and for my Spanish friend, Alicia Rios, a wonderful food performance artist who found the place for me and took me there. We are both intrepid eaters but after the meal, we knew we would not be rushing back to that place. The Madrilenos, on the other hand, seemed to be sold on it. The place was heaving when we ate there. • This is an extract from Offal: the fifth quarter by Anissa Helou with photographs by Mike Cooper (Absolute Press, £25). Order a copy for £20 from the Guardian bookshop

Question: The testicles of a calf cooked and served as food are known as ‘Prairie….’what’?
Answer: Oysters